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The future of energy in the CEE region through the eyes of experts. Speakers from more than ten European countries.
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Innovators, transmission and distribution system operators, and other experts from the energy industry will share their knowledge to guide actionable steps toward better energy security.
How will the European energy sector evolve in the coming months? Energy prices and the stability of energy supplies will be discussed by the director of the Ukrainian transmission system with Czech energy experts.
1The transition to greener sources requires new technologies. Why can we do without flexibility aggregation in the future, and how can industry and the consumer segment get involved?
3How will flexibility and market integration support electrification, variable renewable sources, and balance prices on the transmission system level?
2Residential flexibility, blockchain, peer-to-peer trading, and the use of gravity for energy storage. What are the newest technologies that can transform the energy sector in Central and Eastern Europe?
4Participants included transmission system operators (from the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, Belgium and Ukraine), innovators from energy companies, representatives of flexibility aggregators, and industrial companies wishing to benefit from new opportunities.
CEO at Nano Energies
Since 2018 Stanislav has directed Nano Energies in its mission of achieving its long-term vision of shared sustainable energy. After 8 years in the UK, where he gained experience in the energy sector and in banking for companies such as Morgan Stanley, Lloyds Banking Group and Siemens, Stanislav joined CEZ Group where his tenure began at CEZ Trading where he was originating trading business across Europe. Then he set up a commodities business within CEZ ESCO. Stanislav ran one of the first local commercial pilots on flexibility for demand response and is considered as a thought leader on this topic in the Czech Republic. He has a degree from the University of Hull international finance and economics and an MBA from the University of Manchester.
Executive Director at smartEn
Michael Villa is Executive Director of smartEn - Smart Energy Europe, the European business association integrating the decentralized solutions of the clean energy transition. He joined smartEn in 2018 when he led the advocacy efforts as Head of Policy. Before joining smartEn, he worked as a Senior Consultant to provide specific advocacy support to clients in the EU and the Middle East in the energy sector. He led the Secretariat of a cross-sectorial business organization, the European Alliance to Save Energy (EU-ASE), and supported Knauf Insulation as Public Affairs Adviser in Italy. Michael also worked in the European Parliament for a Cypriot MEP and at the Embassy of Italy in Copenhagen during the UN Climate Change Conference COP15. Michael has a master's degree from the Institute for European Studies in Brussels and a bachelor's degree from the Catholic University of Milan.
CEO of Ukrenergo Digital Solutions and Advisor to the CEO of NPC “Ukrenergo”
The scope of responsibility of Andrii Nemyrovskyi includes dispatch and operational and technological control of the IPS of Ukraine, integration of the Ukrainian power system into the ENTSO-E Continental European Power System, and creation of a modern and secure IT infrastructure of the company.
In addition, Andrii Nemyrovskyi is appointed Director of Ukrenergo Digital Solutions LLC. This company was established in accordance with the decision of Ukrenergo's Supervisory Board for timely and high-quality fulfillment of Ukrenergo's obligations in creating industry-critical software packages, including DataHub and a new auction platform for allocating cross-border transmission capacity.
Previously, Andrii Nemyrovskyi held several positions at Ukrenergo for several years: head of markets development and customer service, deputy director for market development and IT, deputy chairman of the Management Board, and others.
Before that, he worked as Deputy Director at Ukrinterenergo and coordinated the company's foreign economic operations.
He has the experience of working (in 2015) in the Council of Wholesale Electricity Market of Ukraine, where he participated in resolving problematic issues regarding the electricity market's functioning and preparing draft resolutions concerning the organization of the Ukrainian electricity market's functioning.
As Advisor to the Minister of Energy and Coal Industry of Ukraine (in 2015), he was responsible for analyzing the energy markets of foreign countries and preparing proposals on supplying fuel to generating companies.
During 2011-2014, Andrii Nemyrovskyi worked as a top manager at several commercial companies, gaining experience in business management. He ensured the implementation of investors' strategic plans and relations with foreign partners and suppliers.
His employment history also includes the position of chief inspector at the State Customs Service of Ukraine (2008-2010). During this period, he gained extensive experience controlling compliance with customs rules when clearing goods and detecting tax evasion schemes.
He graduated from Kyiv National University of Trade and Economics (management of organizations). He later got his second higher education at the National Technical University of Ukraine "Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute".
CEO at POWER EXCHANGE CENTRAL EUROPE (PXE)
David Kučera was appointed to the position of General Secretary of POWER EXCHANGE CENTRAL EUROPE, a.s. (“PXE”, formally Prague Energy Exchange) as of April 1, 2007. He has a great deal of experience with electricity trading, which he acquired while serving as Finance Director and Member of the Board of Directors at the Swiss firm Atel Energy AG (originally Entrade AG) since May 2000. Prior to his arrival at Entrade/Atel Energy AG, Mr. Kučera worked in the Corporate Finance Department at Patria Finance, a.s., a Czech investment bank, where he gained experience from capital markets and M&A transactions.
Kučera is Member of the Board of Directors of Prague Stock Exchange, and he serves as Chairman of Supervisory Board of Central Securities Depository Prague.
David Kučera is a graduate of the Electrical Engineering Department at Czech Technical University; he earned his MBA in the United States at Clemson University.
Head of Strategy and Business Development at ČEPS
Member of the Board of Directors at ČEPS
Graduating from the Faculty of Nuclear Sciences and Physical Engineering, Czech Technical University, Prague, he further completed an MBA program specializing in strategic and change management at the Sheffield Business School. He has held managerial positions at companies including Arthur Andersen, MONDI Štětí, Cap Gemini, CE WOOD, U & SLUNO, and Ernst & Young Czech Republic. Starting from 2017, he was the Sales Director of the multinational company ELKO EP.
European Affairs at Elia Group
Manuel Galvez, European affairs lead for Elia group. Expert on European Policy and legislation.
Director of the electricity market, HOPS
Antun Andric is at Croatian Transmission System Operator plc., currently as a lead of the market department. Actively participates in the green transition of the power system, mostly through R&D projects, participation in regulation framework creation processes and implementation of the new technologies/processes in the regular TSO operations. He has been a member of various national and international working groups (ENTSO-E Market committee – member, ENTSO-E subgroup Annual report on load- frequency control - convenor, CORE groups, National CIGRE committee C5 – Electricity markets, etc.) and also involved in preparation of many national and international R&D projects (e.g. FP 7 framework, Horizon 2020 framework). In the last period his focus is on balancing market development in Croatia.
Senior director of SED and business division at SEPS
Silvia Čuntalová is the Senior Director of the SED and Trade Department at Slovak Electricity Transmission System (SEPS).
Her portfolio of activities includes mainly the management of the purchase of support services, and electricity to cover losses and for own consumption, which is necessary for the safe and reliable operation of the electricity system of the Czech Republic. Silvia Čuntalová has many years of experience in the energy sector. She worked in Slovenské elektrárne, Západoslovenská energetika, Stredoslovenská energetika (electric utility companies based in Slovak Republic). She is an expert in the field of regulation of network industries. She has many years of experience in senior regulatory positions and extensive experience in leading teams, working groups and projects. She graduated from the Florence School of Regulation and the Faculty of Electrical Engineering at the University of Žilina.
Chairman of the Board and CEO at SEPS
Peter Dovhun is a graduate of the Faculty of Foreign Trade at the University of Economics in Bratislava. He has served as Chairman of the Board and CEO of the Slovak Electricity Transmission System (SEPS) since February 2021.
He brings to the company's executive management team more than 25 years of management and entrepreneurial experience in building and leading teams, change management, and development and sustainable growth of organizations.
He was instrumental in creating the successful PR agency Interel (now Seesame) in 1996 and held senior management positions at multinational companies Motorola and Microsoft from 2000 to 2011. He subsequently used his experience in a two-year restructuring project of the s&t Group, the largest Central European systems integrator. From 2013-2018 he led the expansion of the Slovak software company Gratex International on international markets. He lived and worked in Australia for a large part of this period. After returning to Slovakia, he co-founded the software R&D center of Tachyum, an innovative start-up developing the first universal, high-performance, energy-efficient CPU chip. Before his appointment to his current position, he worked as a consultant and advisor to leaders of private companies and public organizations, including the Ministry of Finance and its subordinate organizations.
EU affairs and Strategic Communication Expert at Polskie Sieci Elektroenergetyczne
Currently works in Polskie Sieci Elektroenergetyczne (PSE), where he deals with EU affairs, strategic communication, as well as the implementation of advocacy strategies and international communication projects. Previously he has been a director of Central Europe Energy Partners (CEEP) in Brussels for four years. His previous assignments included work for Polish and EU public administration, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Embassy in Moscow, EU Delegation in Kyiv, Ministry of Development, and Chancellery of the President of Poland, where he dealt mainly with foreign and energy security affairs.
He graduated from the Institute of Political Science and the Centre for East European Studies, Warsaw University. He also holds MA in European Studies from the College of Europe. He has completed various courses on the energy sector and energy security.
Head of Planning and Analysis Dpt. at Transelectrica
Working for the operation planning and analysis department at Romanian NDC since 2006, he was involved from the beginning in the day ahead congestion forecast in a national power grid, verifying national power grid safety operation and congestion management.
Afterward, he took over the task of power reserves dimensioning for Romanian TSO, also participating in the elaboration of adequacy studies at TSO level, collaborating with renowned consultants from Romania and abroad.
Currently, he actively participates in the ENTSO-E working groups, as well as in the implementation of the European energy exchange platforms in the Romanian power system (IGCC – already implemented, PICASSO – under implementation).
CEO at Energon Advanced Energetics
Tomáš Pastrňák has been the director of Energon Advanced Energetics since 2017, which specializes in the design and construction of large-capacity battery energy storage systems (BESS) and complex EPC units, including photovoltaic, wind and hydropower plants. It has been active in the energy sector since 2006. In the past, he was involved in the completion of the Ledvice power plant, and for several years he led the construction of a power plant in Turkey.
He is the author of a unique concept of an "all-in-one" battery container. The company introduced the first one with a capacity of 1.3 MWh in 2018. At the time, it was only the third battery storage of this size in the country and the first to be wholly designed and assembled domestically.
Managing Director at Gravitricity
Charlie has been an innovator of Energy Systems for 15+ years. He is always working with technologies on their way to significant market growth and disruption in the power and heat sectors. He is currently working as MD of Gravitricity Ltd, a pioneer of underground grid-scale electricity storage.
Location Head Europe at Powerledger
Cristina leads the European market expansion of Powerledger's blockchain platform for decentralized energy, grid flexibility, and renewable energy certificates. With extensive experience in distributed energy systems, grid integration of renewables, and electricity markets, Cristina drives Powerledger's impact on decentralized, decarbonized, resilient power systems. Over the past decade, Cristina has worked on optimizing and managing renewables and their grid integration at Iberdrola, Fraunhofer Institute, and Selco Foundation. She holds a Bachelor's Degree in energy engineering from Madrid Technical University and a Master's degree in Sustainable Energy Engineering from KTH Royal Institute of Technology (Sweden) and Technical University of Berlin (Germany), specializing in power system transformation and grid flexibility. Cristina has been featured in the Forbes 30 under 30 list as one of the top energy leaders in Europe.
CEO of the Demand Response Association of Ireland
Siobhán McHugh is Chief Executive Officer of the Demand Response Association of Ireland, representing 700MW of demand and embedded generation response operating in the energy, capacity and DS3 (system services) markets on the island of Ireland. Siobhán has over 15 years’ energy sector experience, having worked for Aryzta, the Commission for Regulation of Utilities, the Single Electricity Market Operator and EirGrid. Most recently, she worked as a management consultant, focused on energy strategy, transformation, and major programme delivery.
Demand Response Association of Ireland (DRAI) members are committed to shaping the future of power system flexibility through advancing demand side flexibility on the island of Ireland. As Ireland strives to achieve up to 80% renewable generation by 2030, our promise as an industry-led organisation is to champion the development of innovative demand side flexibility solutions that are designed to address the system-wide requirement for flexibility.
DRAI represents approximately 700 MW of demand and embedded generation response across hundreds of industrial and commercial customer sites throughout the island of Ireland. These sites are managed by our members each of whom actively participate in the capacity, system services, and energy markets.
The association was formed to give a single voice to companies operating in this space, in order to help facilitate market participation for demand, and provide perspectives on how to design market and system rules can allow greater volumes of active participation by flexible sources of demand.
Senior Innovation Developer at Cleanwatts
Dr. Lurian Klein combines expertise in Engineering, Social Sciences & Humanities to be at the forefront of socio-technical innovation and promote systemic interventions in the energy field. He is guided by a personal vision of strengthening democratic values, promoting the sharing economy, reducing energy poverty and injustice, protecting the natural environment, and advancing achievements in the renewable energy realm.
His PhD focused on investigating the less tangible social values dimension of peer-to-peer energy sharing interactions within renewable energy communities - developed under the MIT Portugal program at the University of Coimbra.
He is also a Senior Innovation Developer at Cleanwatts - an energy holding company that aims to foster the innovative use of clean energy and improve energy efficiency through a suite of proprietary advanced digital technologies and collaborative platforms that simplify, amplify, and accelerate the energy decarbonization for communities around the world. He is responsible for the conceptualization and deployment of multimillion (H2020 and Horizon Europe) R&D projects on Renewable Energy Communities, Local Energy Markets, User-Centric Energy Services, End-User Engagement, Social Value Creation, Energy Citizenship, etc.
He is also co-founder and Chief Innovation Officer of the EffiSummer startup, which aims to unlock new added value from CO2 emissions reduction measures at the scale of renewable energy communities.
Grid Conception - Head of Section at PREdistribuce, a.s.
Stanislav Votruba has been working for PREdistribuce, a.s. since 2010. He first worked in network development, and since 2013 he has been the head of the department responsible for data communication to the market operator OTE, a.s. Since 2015, he has been the head of the Network Concepts section. During his studies, he worked with companies from the E.ON and RWE Group. He graduated from the RWTH Aachen University in Germany, receiving an M.Sc. degree in Electrical Engineering.
Senior Program Manager infrastructure eMobility at ŠKODA AUTO a.s.
Nikita Dobrynin has been a part of ŠKODA AUTO for 15 years. As a strategic team member, he is responsible for the Core Topic eHUb Czechia / Electrification CEE within NEXT Level Strategy 2030. The teams under his leadership as program and project manager contributed to introducing the first purpose-built electric car to the market from a charging ecosystem and infrastructure perspective. Currently involved in value chain projects and further developing a future-oriented charging ecosystem. Passionate ENYAQ driver and ŠKODA AUTO guest lecturer for the course „Ecosystem of New Mobility”, Nikita Dobrynin firmly believes in the social benefits of the transformation to electric mobility and the benefits of cooperation between the Automotive and Energy sector.
Head of Management grid and Strategic Projects at EG.D
Libor Kolář is Head of Network Management and Strategic Projects at E.ON Distribuce. He has worked in the energy sector for many years. Libor graduated from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering at the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen, specifically in Distribution Network Elements and Smart Grids. In the past years, Libor worked in the E.ON Group, especially in the area of Innovation and Project Implementation. He started as a trainee within the E.ON Czech group and visited the technical and sales departments. He then moved on to work as a project manager focusing on Network Automation projects - feasibility studies and implementation concepts. In the following years, his focus grew to include Smart Asset Management, preparation for the rollout of Smart Metering, etc. Since 2018, he has been Head of Strategic Projects, and currently, specifically since January 2020, he is leading the Network Management and Strategic Projects department. He oversees the conceptual development of distribution networks, is involved in international projects, and implements the company's strategy.
Building Services Manager at MAKRO Cash & Carry ČR
Vladimír Suchánek is a graduate of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering of the Czech Technical University.
He works as a Building Services Manager at MAKRO Cash & Carry ČR s.r.o. and focuses on energy management and ESP projects.
Director of Digital Energy Services at Nano Energies
Tomáš Mužík has been leading the Czech branch of Digital Energy Services, an energy flexibility aggregator in the Nano Energies holding since 2017. Under his leadership, the company manages tens of megawatts of installed capacity for business partners. He has worked at Nano Energies since 2014, first as an analyst and later as Chief Operating Officer. Previously, he worked at TechSoft Engineering, where he was involved in virtual prototyping to develop and optimize steam and water turbines. He holds a Ph.D. from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at the Czech Technical University.
COO at Nano Green
In the summer of 2014, he co-founded the development company S9Y. He is also behind the startup Instacover, which focuses on using artificial intelligence in the insurance industry. In addition, he gained experience at Socialbakers, primarily focusing on product and software development from his position as VP of Engineering. He has been with Nano Green as COO since spring 2022. He wants to move the company into an environment built on a completely different type of service for customers that decentralizes, decarbonizes, and, most importantly, makes electricity cheaper.
CPO at Nano Green
Co-founder of the development studio S9Y, who is a significant contributor to the success of the startup InstaCover at home and abroad. As part of S9Y, he has implemented AI projects for Generali Česká Pojistovna and classic development contracts for Rohlík.cz or startups such as Spendee or Stavario. He gained his first experience in product management at Socialbakers, where in five years, he became the head of a team of product managers who took care of almost 2,500 clients worldwide. He graduated from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering at the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen and has been with Nano Green since the spring of 2022 as Product Director. He and his team are working on matching user consumption to the planet’s breath. In other words, to consume electricity smartly following when the sun is shining, and the wind is blowing.
Consultant / Analyst at Nano Green
Prokop is a consultant and analyst at Nano Energies focusing on quantitative analysis of modern energy solutions. He strives to find feasible ways to steer the current energy system towards a more sustainable future, one step at a time. At the conference, he will present the results of a study he prepared for the European Climate Foundation.
Country Manager at Nano Energies Slovakia
Ján is currently developing business activities in the Slovak market as a director of DES Slovakia. He has been fulfilling DES’s growth strategy in flexibility management in both consumption & production of electricity. In his role, he builds partnerships & deepens relationships with key institutions & partners.
For several years, Ján worked at ČEZ Slovakia, where he managed to build a portfolio for purchasing electricity from renewable sources. Before that, he was responsible for a project introducing handover EIC codes to production facilities at ZSD, a.s.
Changes await the energy sector in the CEE region. What should we prepare for? Stanislav Chvála, CEO of Nano Energies, will guide you through the conference.
Europe is in an energy affordability crisis as well as a security-of-supply crisis. In this keynote talk, we’ll kick off the conference with a discussion on the impact of demand side flexibility—a largely untapped but reliable, climate-friendly, and cost-effective approach to a complex problem.
How can system operators ensure the development of effective markets and signals to take full advantage of demand-side flexibility potential?
MVV Česká Lípa: Participating in ancillary services markets helps keep MVV running in Česká Lípa, ensuring they will have enough resources to provide services through the winter.
Europe is facing unprecedented challenges in ensuring energy security. High commodity prices are affecting all levels of the economy. Will we be able to reduce gas consumption to the necessary levels to avoid major issues? What steps can we take now to lessen the risk and be able to address the crisis which is here now?
The isle of demand response: How innovative demand-side solutions address energy security in Ireland. Actual examples of how to design market and system rules to allow more significant volumes of active participation by flexible sources of demand in the island nation.
The need for affordable energy storage is an integral part of the energy transition. In this talk the CEO of Energon will discuss different battery use cases and implementation strategies based on Energon’s experience in grid-level battery storage.
Investors are now seeing battery storage as both profitable and cost-effective means of providing flexibility to the energy system. What are those details, and how can innovative financing such as power purchase agreements accelerate mass adoption of energy storage in Europe?
Maryša Greenhouse Velké Němčice: How a Czech greenhouse delivers local vegetables even in cold weather with help from ancillary services.
The next decade is crucial for the energy sector. There is an immense challenge ahead; dramatically increasing the amount of variable renewable energy sources in an increasingly electrified world. Even sooner is the coming winter. Will resources be sufficient to provide needed generation? What is the future for gas in balancing the grid across Europe? What changes should be expected in the flexibility market, specifically ancillary services, in the coming months?
Joining us will be representatives from Czech Republic (Radek Hartman from ČEPS), Croatia (Antun Andrić from HOPS), Romania (Emanuel Ionita from Transelectrica), and Belgium (Manuel Gálvez from ELIA).
A novel approach to energy storage by Scottish company Gravitricity addresses climate change and the issue of stranded assets. As many coal mines are now closing, it’s the perfect time to consider novel ways to reuse infrastructure and support the transition from fossil fuels.
Deep changes affect how energy is generated, consumed, shared, stored, managed, and traded. Mitigating the rising energy cost and supply uncertainty whilst meeting decarbonization targets is proving to be an overwhelming challenge. Fortunately, Cleanwatts' turnkey solutions & technology and overarching REC business model that enable the creation and operation of local energy communities represent an important solution for this issue. It’s time for society to reframe its relationship with energy and Cleanwatts can help pave the way for a cleaner, fairer and more sustainable future.
Global challenges in the energy transformation path are causing problems in the traditional grid. Increases in installed solar PV panels, home energy storage systems need effective management.
Powerledger provides a decentralized platform that facilitates a democratized energy market for flexibility. They are able to achieve new revenue streams for local energy markets. And in doing so, speed up the adoption of rooftop solar and battery storage
A deep dive analysis on the potential of flexibility capacity in the Czech Republic in the industry, residential, electric vehicle, storage, and heat sectors. The potential of flexibility to reduce the need for additional capacities (e.g., natural gas as a transitional fuel) and increase the share of renewables.
The role of individual households on the energy transition – a blueprint for residential flexibility that embraces electrification. Management of EV’s, Heatpumps, boilers, home energy storage will all play a role in the near-future energy system. How to enable active participation in energy markets and create opportunities for households to optimize costs.
How can the Czech TSO integrate and optimize demand-side flexibility to balance energy costs? What is the potential in demand-side flexibility, and on what horizon will we need it? And what is the experience with aggregation of flexibility on the corporate side?
The discussion will begin with an introduction to the PIAF project. PIAF is a joint cooperation between SEPS, Nano, and the university of Zilina and with a support from SSD - Stredoslovenska distribucna a.s.. Its goal is to support the adoption of decentralized aggregation in Slovakia. An overview of the status of ancillary services in Slovakia which is set to begin in early 2023 will follow. Finally, a detailed discussion of how energy assets in Slovakia can participate and benefit from ancillary services and flexibility markets.
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